The Environmental Center Lobby

The Coloring Corner

A favorite of our younger visitors and a great place for them to show off their artistic talents.

Fish Exhibit

This exhibit illustrates why the Reservoir is a popular fishing area. Included in this display are replicas of some of the fish species that are stocked in the Reservoir by the NJ Bureau of Fisheries. They are:

Bluegill Sunfish

Black Crappie

Rainbow Trout (no longer stocked)

Smallmouth Bass

Largemouth Bass

Striped Bass Hybrid

Channel Catfish

Tiger Muskie

Other species of fish are found in the Reservoir as well. These were either introduced or were present in the many small streams in the area before the Reservoir was filled. They include:

Pumpkinseed Sunfish

White Crappie

Brook Trout

Brown-Bullhead Catfish

Yellow Perch

White Perch

Suckers

Pickerel

Shiners

Minnows

Fisherman of the Skies

An osprey, a large fish-eating bird of prey, keeps watch over the entrance lobby. This preserved specimen is perched on the edge of a life-size nest atop a manmade platform. Several nesting pairs of osprey have made the Reservoir their home since 1991.

Who lives here? (Aquarium)

Many visitors are drawn to the living aquarium and diorama depicting the rich fauna that can be found at the Manasquan Reservoir. Insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals are all plentiful in this 1,200-acre park.

Auditorium

Visit the auditorium for a nature movie or program. Schedules vary.

GALLERY

Bird Viewing Window

Relax and enjoy some of the 200 bird species that are found at the Manasquan Reservoir throughout the year.

Migration is the amazing annual movement of animals between breeding and non-breeding habitats. Several kinds of animals migrate, including certain fish, mammals and insects. However, it is most apparent with birds. Among the more than 200 bird species that have been found at the Manasquan Reservoir, more than 75% are migrants. Seasonal changes in food and weather force some species out of environments that become unsuitable for feeding or raising young. Instinct leads birds on this round-trip journey. Visitors enjoy learning about bird migration as they scan for avian life at the bird observation area.

River Otter

Learn more about this secretive inhabitant of Monmouth County's more secluded rivers.